DVIDS – News – ‘Army is a team sport’ – ‘Respect’ leads USAMMDA product manager to success

Halfway between Philadelphia and Allentown is Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Home to approximately 9,900 Pennsylvanians, it has a long Mennonite heritage, an annual apple butter party, and is the childhood hometown of US Army Major Andre Mountney.

Today, Mountney serves with the US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity at Fort Detrick, Maryland. As deputy project manager, Warfighter Protection and Acute Care (WPAC) Project Management Office, Mountney keeps her finger on the pulse of the team developing military medical treatments, vaccines, drugs, blood products and preventive care technologies that will one day help protect and support Warfighters around the world.

Her core value, the ethos that helps sustain her as a soldier-scientist on the leading edge of military health product development, one of her main reasons for serving? Respect.

“Our teams bring together a multitude of personalities and perspectives from around the world [Department of Defense] and cannot function effectively without ‘Respect,’” said Mountney, who has served in the Army since he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2013. “Army is a team sport. Each individual has a role to play and each person brings a unique perspective, set of experiences and approach to problem solving. As leaders, it is important that we create the conditions and emulate behaviors that promote mutual respect so that each team member can do their best moving forward as we continue to develop and deliver medical capabilities to the Army and our joint forces.”

Mountney has served in a variety of roles, including supporting ‘Operation Warp Speed’, America’s national vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is no stranger to the flexibility and collaboration necessary to succeed as a member of a team dedicated to developing treatments and products that preserve and protect America’s warfighters. WPAC’s mission is complex and requires a certain temperament to fully contribute as a leader among leaders.

Lessons about adaptability in the face of uncertainty, the hectic pace Soldiers maintain day in and day out, helped Mountney grow as a Soldier and a leader, she said.

“[I have learned to] work (continuously) outside my comfort zone. The army will challenge you. It is an evolving machine where jobs, people and leaders continue to change,” said Mountney. “The army provides funds for lifelong learning. It encourages the pursuit of new skills, credentials, degrees, and experiences that provide the tools needed to successfully operate outside of your comfort zone. And when you overcome that challenge, the cycle repeats itself.”

Mountney has an extensive resume. Before joining the military, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania before earning her doctorate at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. Impressive credentials for any doctor. So why does she prefer military combat uniform and boots to medical scrubs and non-slip sneakers?

The answer lies in the advice he offers to rising soldiers entering the field of medical product development.

“I think ‘Respect’ is one of the greatest. We work in an organization whose mission is to deliver medical products to the Warfighter,” she said. “[W]We have individuals from many different skill sets, and each individual brings that unique perspective. So if you don’t live, breathe, understand ‘Respect’, you won’t be able to capitalize on those individual strengths. [U]sing that military value ‘Respect’, and always keep it hidden in your back pocket, and understanding that, is really important to accomplishing the mission.’